Holder for etching electrodes



June 17, 1947. SQUIRES HOLDER FOR ETGHING ELECTRODES Filed April 21, 1945 INVENTOR FREDERIC B. SQUI RES ATTORNEYS Patented June 17, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

The present invention relates to holders for etching electrodes and particularly to a holder which will remain relatively cool even though the electrode itself becomes very hot.

More particularly still the invention relates to a holder for an electrode so designed as to permit of the passage of a current of air around the electrode and within the holder, whereby the heat generated by the electrode is conducted away from the holder.

It is an object of my invention to provide a holder for an etching electrode which is spaced from the hot surface of the electrode in such manner as to provide a passage for a current of air which will conduct heat from the electrode and thereby prevent the taking up of heat by the holder.

It is a further object of my invention to provide such a holder which may be readily placed on the electrode without the aid of any tools whatsoever.

It is a further object of my invention to provide such an etching electrode holder which shall be simple in construction and readily and economically manufactured.

Further objects and features of my invention will appear when the following description is considered in connection with the accompanying drawings in which- Figure 1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the holder of my invention in position on an etching electrode such as an electrode used in connection with the well known Etchograph;

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional View of the device of Figure 1, the view being taken on the plane of the line 22 of Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a detail view of a spring sleeve used for spacing the holder from the electrode.

Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to Figure 1, there is shown at l an etching electrode having a tip I l which parts are adapted to be connected in the normal manner to a current source, the other terminal of which is connected to the piece to be etched. Equipment which is commonly used for this purpose is known as the "Etchograph and since this mode of etching metal pieces is well known no further description is believed to be necessary.

A holder for the electrode l0 comprises a tanered generally conical structure of heat insulating material such as cork l2, the holder being provided with an interior cylindrical bore l3. Fitted within this bore I 3 is a tubular fiber sleeve I 4, the interior diameter of which is considerably larger than the exterior diameter of the electrode l0.

At either end of the holder I 2 there is provided a resilient spacer member l5 which may be of Phosphor bronze or like material. This spacer member is of hourglass shape and is slotted as indicated at $6 to form bowed resilient members I'I. It will thus been seen that the ends l8 of the member l5 make contact with the sleeve I4 while the central portion of the members I! bear against and grip the electrode 10.

Referring now particularly to Figures 1 and 2 it will be seen that due to the spacing of the holder i2 from the electrode 10, air passages are formed about the electrode I 0 and within the sleeve [4 such passages also including the slots H5 in the member l5 in such manner that currents of air may enter the holder at the bottom thereof and flow upwardly in the direction of the arrows of Figure 1, thereby conducting the heat away from the electrode I0 and assuring that the holder I 2 will remain cool, and thereby permitting the electrode to be used for the etching operation over longer periods of time. In the past the holders used have made contact with the surface of the electrode and have become so hot that it has been necessary to keep a supply of electrodes and holders at hand and to frequently change electrodes since otherwise the operator found it impossible to hold the etching electrode in the hand.

While I have described a preferred embodiment of my invention, it i to be understood that it is given only for purposes of illustration and, therefore, I desire to be limited not by the particular embodiment described hereinabove but solely by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A holder for an etching electrode comprising a handle of heat insulating material having a central bore therein, a fiber sleeve located in said central bore, and a plurality of spacer members located within said bore, said spacer members being resilient sleeves of generally hourglass shape the ends of which bear against the interior surface of said fiber sleeve, and the central small diameter portion of which is adapted to grip the etching electrode.

2. A holder for an etching electrode comprising a handle of heat insulating material having a central bore therein, a fiber sleeve located in said central bore, and a plurality of spacer members located within said bore, said spacer members being resilient sleeves of generally hourglass shape having slots extending longitudinally 3 thereof on either side of the central portion of lesser diameter, the ends of said spacer members bearing against the interior surface of said fiber sleeve and the central portions of which are adapted to hold an etching electrode thereby spacing the electrode from said sleeve and forming air passages around said electroed within said handle, said air passages also including said slots in said resilient members.

FREDERIC B. SQUIRES.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

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